Friday, November 29, 2013

Jewish Telegraph TUG-of-love mother Beth Alexander, who is fighting in Austria for custody of her four-year-old twins, now knows the source of the untrue story about her mental health. It was that which led to a court granting her husband custody of Samuel and Benjamin after a flawed psychiatrist’s report concluded that she was incoherent, inarticulate, had disjointed thoughts and was paranoid.

Now Mancunian Beth, 29, who is divorced in Jewish law from her Austrian husband Dr Michael Schlesinger, has confirmed what she had suspected for the past three years — that her former Viennese best friend, herself an Orthodox mother of five, had tricked her into attending Ezra, a Jewish support centre, to discuss weaning her babies on to solids.

Unknown to Beth, the support worker had been briefed that Beth was suffering from post-natal depression, which she was not, and was the reason the appointment had been arranged.

In her friend’s presence, the worker confirmed that Beth was not suffering from depression. But in an emotional telephone conversation this week — their first contact for more than three years — the friend admitted that she had then told four other close friends that Beth did have post-natal depression and needed to support her husband.

The story spread throughout the close-knit Vienna Jewish community and gave Beth’s husband useful ammunition in his eventual custody case.

Her former friend says that not a day has passed that she has not thought of Beth nor regretted what she did. She added that she had no idea why she did it. As we reported last week, Beth is allowed to see her twins for just six hours a week and on alternate Sundays, but Samuel and Benjamin are not permitted to stay overnight with her.[...]

8 comments
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One caveatI don't know what they call it in Austria but it s typically called "post-partum" depression. The word "natal" refers to baby. Pre-natal care is what a woman has during pregnancy BEFORE a baby arrives. But "post-natal" depression makes no sense as it implies depression after baby as opposed to after "partition" of baby. The depression is due to partition of baby from mother and change in chemistry and hormones. Sad story either way.

No independent proof here (re the friend) just Beth's say-so. So the entire case against her (and accepted by the original psychiatrist, police, social services and the courts) is based on a single statement by one woman....

Avi, why don't you make your own enquiries by contacting some of the people in Vienna to find out more about this case? Or perhaps you have already spoken to the father and/or some of his backers and believed what they have told you.

This newspaper report seems to be largely inline with all the many different articles written by many other journalists, appearing in both Jewish and large secular national papers. I am merely pointing out that it seems strange that so many independent reporters would have a consistent story having done their own investigations.Having read your comments on this subject, it may be that some people doubt your assertion that you don't have any involvement with the father or his "friends".

If you think that every single one of the newspapers and publications would publish anything without doing any investigation at all, then you are ridiculously out of touch.

It would be interesting to hear what the father thinks about it all. Why doesn't he speak out? Why are you speaking on his behalf? If he feels anything in the public domain is not factually correct, why doesn't he put out a statement to say so? Instead, he is just hiding and hoping he doesn't have to face any of the backlash against this huge injustice. Of course he isn't responding! There is no response!

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Rav Zev Leff recommends my 3 books on Child & Domestic Abuse

Click on picture to hear excerpt from Jan. 2012 Kav L'Noar conference. "I want to first give hakoras hatov to Dr. Baruch Shulem who provided me with Daniel Eidensohn's books on child abuse and domestic abuse which offered me many many sources and it gave me many many ideas to be able to deal with the subject properly. And I thank them and I recommend those books to everyone who is interested in getting a good foundation what the issues are in this very important topic."